Rauf Raif Denktaş
(27 January 1924 – 13 January 2012) was a
Turkish Cypriot politician, barrister and jurist who served as the founding
president of Northern Cyprus. He occupied this position as the president of the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, ''KKTC''), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Reco ...
between the declaration of the ''de facto'' state by Denktaş in 1983 and 2005, as the president of the
Turkish Federated State of Cyprus between 1975 and 1983 and as the president of the
Autonomous Turkish Cypriot Administration between 1974 and 1975. He was also elected in 1973 as the vice-president of the
Republic of Cyprus.
Early life and career
Denktaş was born in
Paphos
Paphos ( el, Πάφος ; tr, Baf) is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos.
The current city of P ...
to judge Raif Mehmet Bey and Emine Hanim, Turkish Cypriots. He graduated from
The English School, Nicosia in
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...
. Following his graduation he worked as a translator in
Famagusta
Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under t ...
after that as a
court clerk
A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...
and then as a
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
for one year in the English School. He later went to
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
training first as a teacher and then as a
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...
at
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincol ...
. He graduated in 1947 and returned home to practice law.
In 1948 Denktaş served as a member of the Consultative Assembly in search of self-government for Cyprus and became a member of the Turkish Affairs Committee. He was a
crown prosecutor 1949–1958.
1957–1999
In 1957, Denktaş played the lead role in the founding of the
Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT), which was formed to resist
EOKA
The Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA; ; el, Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, lit=National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist paramilitary organisation that fought a cam ...
's struggle to proclaim
Enosis
''Enosis'' ( el, Ένωσις, , "union") is the movement of various Greek communities that live outside Greece for incorporation of the regions that they inhabit into the Greek state. The idea is related to the Megali Idea, an irredentist conc ...
(union with Greece) and worked for the partition of Cyprus. In 1958, he attended the
U.N. General Assembly on behalf of the Turkish-Cypriots, and in December of that year he advised the Turkish Government on the rights of Turkish Cypriots during the preparation of the
London and Zurich Agreements (signed 19 February 1959). In 1960, Cyprus won independence from
Britain, and the
Republic of Cyprus was established. Denktaş was elected as the President of the Turkish Communal Chamber.
In November 1963
President Makarios gave for review to Turkey,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
and
Britain a document with a series of constitutional amendments designed to loosen the acquired rights of Turkish Cypriots in the name of "the workings of the state". Then the paramilitary action against the Turks began in December 1963, after which Turkish-Cypriots forcefully withdrew from government. Upon these events, Denktaş went to
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
for consultations with the
Turkish government. His reentry to the island was prohibited by the
Greek-Cypriot leadership in years 1964–68 due to his involvement with TMT. In
the 1973 vice presidential elections he replaced
Fazıl Küçük.
After the 15 July 1974 Greek ultra-nationalist military coup in Cyprus, fearing for the safety of the Turkish Cypriot population,
Turkey unilaterally invaded by landing troops on the north coast of Cyprus. During the military operation, the dictatorship led by
Nikos Sampson
Nikos Sampson (born Nikos Georgiadis, el, Νίκος Γεωργιάδης; 16 December 1935 – 9 May 2001) was the ''de facto'' president of Cyprus who succeeded Archbishop Makarios, appointed as the president of Cyprus by the Greek military ...
fell and political wrangling began. After three weeks, Turkey continued to advance military operation. The
Turkish Army took control of 37% of the island by the time it completed its second advance on 14 August 1974 and reached
Famagusta
Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under t ...
. Denktaş was subsequently elected
speaker of the legislature in 1975,
and then President of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus in 1976 and for a second term in 1981.
He played a key role in the 1983
Unilateral Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and was elected as the President of the TRNC in 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000.
The TRNC has not been recognised by any state other than
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
. Denktaş had been the chief negotiator of Turkish Cypriots in the United Nations sponsored peace talks since 1968.
Later career
By 2000, the desire of both Cyprus and Turkey to join the
EU led to renewed efforts to reach a settlement. In 2002 there were large demonstrations in northern Cyprus by Turkish Cypriots demanding reunification of the island, which would give them EU citizenship when Cyprus joined the EU in 2004.
In February 2004 Denktaş embarked on a new round of UN sponsored talks with the Greek Cypriots, aimed at re-uniting Cyprus. Ultimately, as did the
Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, he opposed the final version of the settlement proposal drafted under the authority of the
UN Secretary General
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
The role of the secretary-g ...
Kofi Annan (the
Annan Plan), which was voted on by the two Cypriot communities in a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...
on 24 April 2004. The plan was accepted by 65% of the Turkish community, but was rejected by a vast majority of the Greeks.
On 14 May 2004, Denktaş announced he would not be standing for a fifth term as President of the TRNC in the
next election. His tenure as President came to an end following the 17 April 2005 election of
Mehmet Ali Talat, who formally assumed office on 25 April.
Personal life and awards
Denktaş's favourite pastimes included
photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is emplo ...
and writing. His photographs have been exhibited in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, some of the former republics of the Soviet Union, Poland, France, Austria and Turkey. He has written about fifty books in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
and
Turkish. Between the years 1949 and 1957 he wrote many articles for the newspaper ''
Halkın Sesi'' ("Voice of the People"), published by
Fazıl Küçük, the first Vice President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Denktaş has been the recipient of many awards and honorary doctorates given by various universities in Turkey, Northern Cyprus and the United States. He was married to Aydın Denktaş (1933–2019) for 63 years and had three sons and three daughters. He lost a daughter at the age of three, one son,
Raif Raif, Raaif, sometimes Raef (Arabic: رَائِف ''rā’if'') is an Arabic male given name or used as a surname meaning "kind, compassionate, affectionate, benign" or "sympathetic, merciful".
The name comes from the Arabic verb ''ra’afa'' (ر� ...
in a traffic accident and another son in a
tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure in which both palatine tonsils are fully removed from the back of the throat. The procedure is mainly performed for recurrent tonsillitis, throat infections and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). For those w ...
. His surviving son
Serdar Denktaş is also a politician, and as of 2019, leader of the Turkish Cypriot
Democratic Party.
Illness, death and funeral
Denktaş's health gradually deteriorated throughout the 2000s.
[Stefanos Evripidou]
"Denktash to be Buried on Tuesday".
''Cyprus Mail
The ''Cyprus Mail'' is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. Established in 1945, it is published every day except Monday, and most of the local articles are available on its website.
History
With the demise of the '' ...
''. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012. He had a heart condition and on 25 May 2011 suffered a stroke.
He died on 13 January 2012 of multiple organ failure at the
Near East University Hospital in Nicosia.
Northern Cyprus declared seven days' mourning, while Turkey declared five days'. His funeral, which thousands attended, was held on 17 January. He was buried in the
Cumhuriyet Park ("Park of the Republic").
"Funeral service for former Turkish Cypriot leader".
''Hürriyet
''Hürriyet'' (, ''Liberty'') is one of the major Turkish newspapers, founded in 1948.
, it had the highest circulation of any newspaper in Turkey at around 319,000. ''Hürriyet'' has a mainstream, liberal and conservative outlook. ''Hürriyet ...
''. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
Books by Denktaş
* Saadet Sırları – Secrets of Happiness, 1941
* Ateşsiz Cehennem – Hell without Fire, 1944
* Criminal Cases, 1953–54
* A Handbook of Criminal Cases, 1955
* 12'ye 5 Kala – 5 to 12, 1964–66
* The Cyprus Problem, 1968
* The Akritas Plan, 1968
* A Short Discourse on Cyprus, 1972
* Gençlerle Başbaşa – Alone with Youngsters, 1981
* The Cyprus Triangle, 1982
* Gençlerle Hasbihal – Conversation with the Youth, 1982
* Cyprus Problem in a Nutshell, 1983
* Gençlere Öğütler – Advice to the Youth, 1985
* Kadın ve Dünya – Woman and The World, 1985
* Kuran'dan İlhamlar – Inspiration from The Qur'an, 1986
* İmtihan Dünyası – A World of Examination, 1986
* Yarınlar İçin – For Tomorrow, 1986
* UN Speeches on Cyprus, 1986
* Seçenekler ve Kıbrıs Türkleri – The Options and The Turkish Cypriots, 1986
* Cyprus, An Indictment and Defence, 1987
* The Cyprus Problem 23rd Year, 1987
* My Vision for Cyprus, 1988
* Atatürk, Din ve Laiklik – Atatürk, Religion and Laïcité, 1989
* Gençlerle Sohbet – Discussion with Youth, 1990
* Kıbrıs'ta Bitmeyen Kavga – Unending Fight in Cyprus, 1991
* Kıbrıs Davamız – Our Cyprus Issue, 1991
* İlk Altı Ay – The First Six Months, 1991
* What is the Cyprus Problem, 1991
* A Challenge on Cyprus, 1990–91
* Denktaş As A Photographer, Images From Northern Cyprus, 1991
* The Cyprus Problem and the Remedy, 1992, Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
* From My Album, 1992
* O Günler – Those days, 1993, Nicosia
* Images From Northern Cyprus, 1993
* Vizyon – The Vision, 1994, Nicosia
* Kapılar – The Doors, 1995, Nicosia
* Observations on the Cyprus Dispute, 1996
* Kıbrıs Meselesinde Son Durum – The Latest Situation in Cyprus Issue, 1996, Nicosia
* Rum Yunan İkilisi: İstenmeyen Cumhuriyetten Nereye? – Cypriot Greek Duo: Where to from the Unwanted Republic, 1996, Nicosia
* Karkot Deresi – Karkot Stream, 1996
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, I. cilt (1964) – Memoirs of Rauf Denktaş, 1964–74, volume I (1964), 1996
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, II. cilt (1965), 1997
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, III. cilt (1966), 1997
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, IV. cilt (1967), 1997
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, V. cilt (1968), 1997
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, VI. cilt (1969), 1997
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, VII. cilt (1970), 1997
* Kalbimin Sesi – The voice of my heart, 1997
* In Search of Justice, 1997
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, VIII. cilt (1971–72), 1998
* Rauf Denktaş'ın Hatıraları, 1964–74, IX. cilt (1973–74), 1999
* Hatıralar, Toplayış, X. cilt – Memoirs, Putting It Together, vol X, 2000
Note: The translations of the titles in Turkish is not necessarily the actual English title
References
Notes
Further reading
* Pierre Oberling, The Road to Bellapais (1982)
* Tozun Bahcheli, Greek-Turkish Relations since 1955 (1990)
* Kyriacos Markides, The Rise and Fall of the Cyprus Republic (1977)
* Rauf Denktash, The Cyprus Triangle (London, 1982)
* Yvonne Cerkez, Rauf Denktas A Private Portrait (2014)
External links
Biography of Denktaş
in TRNC Presidency website
* Audio extract of Denktaş in a 2008 Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the State media, state-owned news network and International broadcasting, international radio broadcaster of the United States, United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international br ...
interview with Nathan Morley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Denktas, Rauf
1924 births
2012 deaths
20th-century presidents of Northern Cyprus
21st-century presidents of Northern Cyprus
20th-century prime ministers of Northern Cyprus
Members of Lincoln's Inn
Non-fiction crime writers
20th-century Cypriot lawyers
Vice presidents of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot political writers
People from Nicosia
People from Paphos
Presidents of Northern Cyprus
Speakers of the Assembly of Northern Cyprus
Cypriot people of the Cyprus Emergency
Deaths from multiple organ failure
Cypriot expatriates in England
Turkish Cypriot expatriates in Turkey
Turkish Cypriot expatriates in the United Kingdom